Executive Pension FAQ’s

If you are interested in Executive Pensions, you may be able to find out more by reviewing our Frequently Asked Questions;

1. Why should I set up a pension, I don’t believe in pensions, my company/property is my pension?
2. How long does it take to set up an Executive Pension?
3. How much can I have my company contribute?
4. When can I access my pension?
5. When Should A Company Director Review Their Pension Options?

Answers

1. Why should I set up a pension? I don’t believe in pensions, my company/property is my pension.

Even if you don’t believe in pensions the fact is that pension legislation can facilitate you taking up to €200,000 out of your company tax free and a further up to €300,000 at 20% which is far more efficient than paying a marginal tax rate of 52%. If you own a valuable business we recommend that you start the process of devising an exit plan as early as possible and by age 50 at the latest. It is very likely that your exit plan will involve a pension so taking one out now will be a good start to planning your exit.

2. How long does it take to set up an Executive Pension?

The process is no more complicated than any other type of pension apart from the fact that we must perform a funding calculation to ensure that you don’t breach the Revenue maximum funding which is permitted.

3. How much can I have my company contribute?

The method for calculating the maximum contributions which your company can make is too complex to explain here but, unless you are taking a very small salary or have already accumulated significant pension funds, most of the time it is not a limiting factor.

For example a married male aged 50, intending to retire at age 65, taking a salary of €100,000 p.a. and with ten years service and no existing pension, could have his company make contributions of €126,222 p.a. to his Executive pension and this could be offset against trading profits in the year it is made to reduce the company’s corporation tax bill.

If you’re interested in finding out the level of contributions which your company could make to your Executive pension and offset against profits for the purpose of corporation tax, just complete this short max funding questionnaire and send a scan or a photo of it to us.

4. When can I access my pension?

You will be able to set a normal retirement age of anywhere between age 60 and age 70. It is possible to access your pension from age 50 subject to certain conditions or before age 50 in the case of ill health early retirement.

5. When Should A Company Director Review Their Pension Options

• If you have an existing product it’s a good idea to have it reviewed. High charges on a pension eat into it’s value over time. Charges have reduced in recent years so make sure that you’re not contributing to a ‘Celtic Tiger’ pension.
• If your pension was arranged through a bank or a tied agent of a life assurance company it’s likely that you can do better by reviewing what’s available in the market.
• Company pension contributions are fully allowable for Corporation Tax purposes so prior to company year end is a great time to consider whether you want to have the company make an additional contribution to mitigate the companies Corporation Tax bill.
• Even if you are at the point of retirement there may be valuable tax planning options open to you. You should not mature your pension without exploring the opportunities which are available.
• If you are selling your company this is also an excellent time to consider the tax implications and how these could be mitigated using pension legislation. We can work with your Tax Adviser to ensure that your tax bill is minimised.
• It is a little known fact that pension opportunities don’t end when a Company Director retires. If you retired with less than the Revenue maximum pension there may be scope to correct this. Many Company Directors who retired in the years following the global financial crisis left with a smaller pension than they could have. If the business is now cash rich it may be possible to extract this tax effectively, even after retirement.
• If you have an existing company pension and you are in ill health you should seek advice from a competent adviser about possible risks to your pension in the event of your death, and how these can be mitigated.

If you are interested in discussing this further please give us a call on 01 546 1100, send us your details via our Contact Us form, or book a 15 minute video call with us here.

The material and information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. Neither the writer nor Highfield Financial Planning Ltd makes any warranty as to the completeness, accuracy or reliability of the information or the suitability or availability of products or services, referred to on the website, for any purpose. You should not rely on any information contained on this website as a basis for making any financial, legal, taxation or other decision. The information presented does not include all the considerations which are relevant to the topic discussed as to do so would render it un-readable. When considering any financial issue you should seek the advice of a suitably qualified adviser. 

Warning: If you invest in this product you may lose some or all of the money you invest.

Warning: The value of your investment may go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invest.

Warning: This product may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates.

Warning: The income you get from this investment may go down as well as up.

© Eoghan Gavigan 15 November 2021